Student of the Year 2012 (Movie Review)

Dir: Karan Johar
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan
Dur: 2 hrs 20 mins
Genre: Romance
Comment: A good film for teens and college youngsters. Delivers an effective message.

College life isn’t as rosy at it may seem. Those who haven’t yet gone to college envy those who are in it. Those who are in it envy those who have passed out and those who have passed out either remember their college days fondly or grudgingly. Student of the Year reflects similar sympathies. A group of batch mates accidentally meet one another a couple of years after passing out of college. The occasion is the ill health of their then, dean.

The story is narrated by the various ex-students who fill in with their perspectives. The plot is typical. Most of these guys are nobodies at school. Rohan (Varun Dhawan) is the dada of the school despite the fact that his father is on the school board. He is considered a black sheep by his father who doesn’t approve of his ways. Shanaya (Alia Bhatt) is his beautiful girlfriend and also happens to be the most beautiful and talented girl at school. So far so good. With an entry of a showstopper in slow-motion movements and apt music, the school welcomes a new student, Abhimanye (Siddharth Malhotra), with swagger and style that makes even VD nervous. Almost spontaneously a rivalry spawns between these two hunks which eventually peters out into an extraordinary friendship. Soon we have a love triangle that sours friendships and sows misunderstanding and hate. The college year culminates with the declaration of the ‘Student of the year’, a prize for the most-deserving student who excels in all fields. This competition truly turns out to be fierce and is also responsible for destroying many relationships.


The film setting aside its glamour and college fun, is basically about relationships which are made and broken for various reasons. It helps us distinguish between what is really important and what is only temporarily so. Despite the fact that years have elapsed, the protagonists relate the story like it happened only a few days ago. This also shows us the extent to which situations and relationships can affect us. The film was really great. I enjoyed every bit of it. The love-drama added flavour to the film. But the standout for me was the stellar performances by the lead trio. The other protagonists too, did a great job. The film didn’t fail in capturing the eventfulness of college life. The story is well told and delivers a strong message. Kudos to all who were part of this awesome film!    

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